The present invention relates to a disk case for storing an optical disk such as a video disk therein. The case has a cover to close the case.
FIG. 6 shows a conventional disk case which comprises a body 1 and a cover 2 mounted on the body 1. The body 1 has opposite side frames 1a each having a pivot pin 3 and a lock pin 5. The cover 2 has a front plate 9 and opposite side plates 9a. Provided on the side plate 9a is a hole 4 to be pivotally engaged with the pin 3 and a recess 6 engaged with the lock pin 5. Thus, the cover 2 is pivotally mounted on the case body 1 and fixed to the body 1 when closed by the engagement of the pin 5 with the recess 6.
In the central portion of the body 1, a disk holding member 7 is provided for holding a disk A. The holding member 7 comprises a plurality of elastic lugs 7a disposed with a gap there-between and has a diameter slightly larger than a central hole A1 of the disk A at a lower portion thereof. When the periphery of the hole A1 is engaged with the holding member 7, the elastic lugs 7a are inwardly deformed. Thus, the disk A is held by the holding member 7 with the elasticity of the elastic lugs 7a.
A rib 8 is provided on each side plate 9a of the cover 2 to reinforce the cover and to serve as a stopper if the disk A is moved in the case.
In order to open the cover 2, the front plate 9 is pushed up by the finger so that the recesses 6 are disengaged from the lock pins 5 of the body 1. Then, the cover 2 is rotated in the upper direction about the pins 3.
To remove the disk from the case, a peripheral portion of the disk is raised by a finger of the user and a thumb is engaged with the periphery of the hole A1 so as to pull out the disk from the holding member 7.
In the conventional disk case, since the disk A is firmly fixed to the holding member 7, a large force is required to remove the disk from the holding member, which may cause a deformation of the disk. Furthermore, if the disk is pressed against the wall of the body 1 when removing, a recording surface of the disk may be damaged.
When the disk A is supported on the holding member 7, since the periphery of the disk is positioned apart from the body 1, the periphery of the disk may be vibrated. If the case is dropped, the disk may be damaged.
In order to solve the above mentioned defect, a disk case as shown in FIG. 7 has been developed.
The disk case of FIG. 7 has a body 10 and cover 20 slidably and pivotally mounted on the body 10. The cover 20 has opposite side plates 20a provided with guide pins 21 slidably engaged with guide grooves 11 formed on opposite side plates 10a of the body 10. In order to open the cover 20, the cover 20 is moved in the direction shown by an arrow a, sliding the pins 21 in the grooves 11. When the pins 21 reach the rear ends of grooves, the cover 20 is rotated about the pins 21 in the dockwise direction in FIG. 7. Thus, the cover is opened as shown in FIG. 7. The cover is further rotated to turn it about the pins 21 and the pins 21 are moved in the grooves 11 in the direction of an arrow b, so that the cover 20 becomes an upward position and is engaged with the underside of the body 10.
The body 10 is provided with a gourd-shaped holding member 13 to be engaged with the periphery of the hole A1 of the disk A for holding and positioning the disk, and a plurality of stoppers 14 for supporting the periphery of the disk A. The stopper 14 has a step portion 14a secured to the body on which the periphery of the disk A is mounted, a stopper portion 14b for preventing the disk A from moving in the horizontal direction, and a rib 14c for the stopper portion 14b. A pair of lugs 23 are provided on the inner portion of the side plate 20a of the cover 20 to be slidably engaged with upper portions of the side plate 10a of the body 10 when the cover is closed. Thus, the disk A is prevented from moving in the vertical direction in the case.
In the body 10, a lock member 16 and a pair of hooks 15 provided corresponding to the lock member are provided.
FIG. 8 shows the lock member 16 which comprises a pair of frames 17 secured to the body 10, and a lock plate 18 slidably mounted in the frames 17. The lock plate 18 has a pair of projections 18b provided on opposite sides thereof, and a lock end 18a engaged with a part of the periphery of the disk A for locking the disk. Each of the frames 17 has a pair of engaging recesses 17a and 17b selectively engaged with the projection 18b of the lock plate 18.
When the disk A is mounted in the case on the holding member 13 and the stopper portions 14a of the stoppers 14, the lock plate 18 is slid in the frames 17 to engage the projections 18b with the recesses 17b so that the lock end 18a engages with the periphery of the disk. On the other hand, the periphery of the disk opposite to the lock member 16 is engaged with the hooks 15. Thus, it is impossible to remove the disk A from the body 1.
When the lock plate 18 is outwardly slid in the frames 17 and the projections 18b are engaged with recesses 17a, the lock end 18a is disengaged from the disk A. The disk A is easily disengaged from the hooks 15, and released from the holding member 13 and the stoppers 14.
In the disk case, the cover 20 is easily operated and the disk A is safely and exactly mounted in or removed from the case. When the cover 20 is opened, since the cover is positioned on the underside of the body 10, the disk can be removed from the case by one hand, while the case is supported by the other hand in a stable state.
However, since a large number of parts is provided in the case, the construction is complicated, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost.